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depend

[ dih-pend ]
/ dɪˈpɛnd /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR depend

verb (used without object)

to rely; place trust (usually followed by on or upon): You may depend on the accuracy of the report.
to rely for support, maintenance, help, etc. (usually followed by on or upon): Children depend on their parents.
to be conditioned or contingent (usually followed by on or upon): His success here depends upon effort and ability.
to be undetermined or pending: I may go to Europe or I may not, it all depends.
Grammar. (of a word or other linguistic form) to be subordinate to another linguistic form in the same construction; to form a part of a construction other than the head.
to hang down; be suspended (usually followed by from): The chandelier depends from the ceiling of the ballroom.

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Origin of depend

1375–1425; late Middle English dependen<Old French dependre<Latin dēpendere to hang down, equivalent to dē-de- + pendere to hang

OTHER WORDS FROM depend

in·ter·de·pend, verb (used without object)re·de·pend, verb (used without object)self-de·pend·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to depend

hinge on, rest on, bottom, hang, stay, found, ground, bank on, build upon, calculate on, confide in, lean on, reckon on, trust in, turn to, hang on, pend, turn on, stand on

Example sentences from the Web for depend

British Dictionary definitions for depend

depend
/ (dɪˈpɛnd) /

verb (intr)

(foll by on or upon) to put trust (in); rely (on); be sure (of)
(usually foll by on or upon; often with it as subject) to be influenced or determined (by); be resultant (from)whether you come or not depends on what father says; it all depends on you
(foll by on or upon) to rely (on) for income, support, etc
(foll by from) rare to hang down; be suspended
to be undecided or pending

Word Origin for depend

C15: from Old French dependre, from Latin dēpendēre to hang from, from de- + pendēre to hang
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012